# A Logic of Knowing How

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.06651 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.06651/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 25 May 2015.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [EpiK-Eval: Evaluation for Language Models as Epistemic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.15372/) (2023)
- [Shhh! The Logic of Clandestine Operations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.07035/) (2023)
- [Tableaux for the Logic of Strategically Knowing How](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.05066/) (2023)
- [Distributed Knowing How](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.22374/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this paper, we propose a single-agent modal logic framework for reasoning about goal-direct "knowing how" based on ideas from linguistics, philosophy, modal logic and automated planning. We first define a modal language to express "I know how to guarantee phi given psi" with a semantics not based on standard epistemic models but labelled transition systems that represent the agent's knowledge of his own abilities. A sound and complete proof system is given to capture the valid reasoning patterns about "knowing how" where the most important axiom suggests its compositional nature.